Energy and Buildings 33 (2001) 837841

The generation of subsurface temperature proles for Kuwait

A.A. Al-Temeemi*, D.J. Harris
Department of Building Engineering and Surveying, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK Received 21 November 2000; accepted 7 January 2001

Abstract A predicted prole of the periodic variation of subsurface temperature with depth is presented for the soil conditions of the State of Kuwait. The generation of the prole is based on Labs' equation for subterranean temperatures, which takes into account the thermal and physical properties of the soil. These subsurface temperatures are then compared with the ambient dry-bulb temperature. The proles are then used to analyse the seasonal variations in subsurface temperatures at different depths and the time lags produced when compared with air temperatures. The resulting charts and graphs should be a useful tool for those interested in the energy conservation potential of earthsheltered and earth-bermed structures in Kuwait. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Earth-bermed buildings; Earth-sheltered buildings; Subsurface temperatures; Subterranean temperatures; Energy conservation; Kuwait

1. Introduction Energy conscious building design begins with an awareness of the local climate. In Kuwait, which heavily depends on mechanical cooling for thermal comfort, the local climate is well documented. The subterranean climate, however, is not. In order to gain an understanding of the subsurface climate, the soil must be characterised. The physical properties of soil differ from location to location. These properties and the local climate affect the subsurface temperature proles of a particular location. In locales governed by extreme and harsh climates, such as Kuwait's, the underground environment will be noticeably less extreme, with relatively small temperature uctuations. These uctuations will also be seasonal, rather than the wide daily uctuations of the aboveground environment, and will be subject to a large time lag. Soil is a very good moderator of temperature. Due to its density and specic heat, it has a high heat capacity. The high heat capacity allows a damping of the aboveground temperature uctuations at a rate exponential to soil depth [1]. A favourable subterranean environment has the energy conservation potential of reducing heat transfer between the surrounding earth and an earth-sheltered or earth-bermed building. Therefore, a prediction of subsurface temperature prole as a function of time and depth could be a useful tool. Such a prole for the State of Kuwait will be presented here.
*

There are many attempts at predicting subterranean temperatures in the literature, but only two are found that attempt to do this for Kuwait. Khatry et al. [2] presented an analysis of the periodic variation of ground temperature with depth for Kuwait, using a Fourier analysis model. However, the model assumes that the surface temperature is almost identical to the solair temperature. This assumption does not conform to experimental data for Kuwait [3]. Furthermore, their resulting graph was presented for 1 day of the year and for limited depths. Moustafa et al. [3] developed a soil temperature model for Kuwait using the well-known equation derived by Labs [4], but the soil properties for Kuwait found in the literature are slightly different from what was incorporated, and the climatic data used was taken from only 1 year. Therefore, resulting graphs presented were valid only for 1 year, 1978. The computed temperature was within 1.28C of the measured soil temperature during 1978, which if anything shows the reasonable accuracy of Labs' equation. 2. Characteristics of Kuwait's climate Of all Kuwait's physical characteristics, it is the climate that greatly affects almost every aspect of life. Located in a dry desert region, Kuwait's climate is characterised by high temperature extremes and intense solar radiation with little cloud cover. During the long summer season, the mean air temperature is 378C and the mean daily maximum is about 458C. July and August are very critical cooling months due

Corresponding author.

0378-7788/01/$ see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 3 7 8 - 7 7 8 8 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 6 9 - X

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to extremely hot temperatures throughout the day and night. To make matters worse, these high temperatures are sustained for long periods. Temperatures above 408C (1048F) last on average for 6 h per day in June, 8 h in July, 7 h in August, and 4 h in September. During the short winter, the monthly mean temperature does not normally fall below 108C. Typical of desert regions, very little precipitation is observed and dust storms are common. In addition, the air is generally dry. High humidity occurs for a short period of time during the summer, especially along the coast when the winds are light. Average relative humidity ranges from 14 to 42% in the summer and 42 to 80% in the winter [5]. From this data, it can be seen why cooling is necessary continuously from about early April to mid-November. In 1997, the average electrical peak load for the months May September was 30% higher than the yearly average peak load, although the population actually decreases during the summer months. The average July peak load was 114% higher than the average peak load in January [6]. Since the climate is the primary reason for the large cooling energy consumption, it would be advantageous to investigate the potential thermal benets of the subterranean environment. It will be shown here that compared with the aboveground climate in Kuwait, the predicted subsurface environment is much milder. The subsurface environment is governed by a number of factors, including the prevailing climatic conditions of the locale and the thermal and physical properties of the soil, such as density, thermal diffusivity and moisture content. In the absence of a shallow water table, the natural moisture content of the soil in Kuwait is very low, about 2%, which is expected in a dry desert climate. The little rain Kuwait receives has little effect on the moisture content, since high soil temperatures and radiation results in high evaporation rates much greater than the total precipitation. The combination of evaporation and high temperatures leads to an upward movement of any moisture in the soil at subterranean depths [7]. Moisture content is an especially important factor when considering the subsurface climate due to the fact that wetter soils heat more slowly than dry soils. Vegetative cover will usually offset the dry nature of the soil, resulting in a more favourable environment. 3. Methodology One application of a subsurface temperature prole is for predicting the thermal performance of an earth-sheltered or earth-bermed building. A mathematical model can be used to predict ground temperatures, at any depth and time, which depends on the thermal and physical characteristics of the soil. Since, subsurface temperature uctuations follow a sine wave closely, a temperature may be predicted at any time and depth with sufcient accuracy if certain characteristics can be agreeably estimated. As mentioned before, an equation derived by Labs [4] for undisturbed ground

temperatures has proven to be reasonably accurate for Kuwait when compared with experimental data for 1 year. The equation makes use of a straightforward mathematical model, the soundness of which has been substantiated by sizeable empirical research at different locations [8]. Hence, this equation will be utilised in this study. The equation is as follows for estimating subsurface temperatures as a function of depth and day of the year (with cosine expressed in radians): p Tx;t Tm As ex p=365a ( 4 2 35A x  r 2p 365 t t0 cos (1) 365 2 pa where Tx;t is the subsurface temperature at depth x (in m) on day t of the year, Tm the mean surface ground temperature (equal to steady state; in 8C), As the annual temperature amplitude at the surface (x 0; in 8C), e the Euler's number, 2.71828, x the subsurface depth (in m), t the time of the year (in days), t0 the phase constant, the day of minimum surface temperature, a the thermal diffusivity of the soil (in m2 per day). Moustafa et al. [3] used a value of 27.788C for the mean annual surface temperature, Tm, in Kuwait in their previously mentioned study. This was a measured value, but only valid for the year 1978. Unfortunately, long-term experimental values for this quantity is not available. However, according to Watson and Labs [9], adding about 1.78C to the average annual air temperature can approximate the mean annual ground temperature. In Kuwait, the long-term average annual air temperature is 25.68C, thus making mean annual ground temperature, T m 27:38C [10]. The annual temperature amplitude, As, corresponds to the maximum elevation of temperature from the annual mean of the soil surface. Moustafa et al. [3] used 10.568C. Since the ground temperature is not available, Watson and Labs [9] suggest As can be estimated by taking one-half the difference between the July and January monthly average air temperatures and adding 1.18C. The July and January long-term monthly average temperatures, taken from 41 years of statistics, are 37.6 and 12.68C, respectively [10]. This leads to a value for As of 13.68C. The phase constant, t0, corresponds to the day of minimum surface temperature. According to periodic heat-conduction theory, the phase of the solar radiation wave lags behind the cyclical wave of surface temperature by 1/8 of a cycle, or 46 days. Since the day of minimum solar radiation occurs on day 355 of the year, t0 takes a value of day 36. By comparison, Moustafa et al. [3] used 26. The value for thermal diffusivity, a, in Eq. (1) is dened by a k rc (2)

where k is the soil thermal conductivity (in W/m K), c the specific heat capacity (in J/kg K), r the soil density (in kg/m3).

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Moustafa et al. [3] used a value of 0.045 m2 per day for the thermal diffusivity of Kuwaiti soils. However, an investigation of the components of Eq. (2) leads to another value for the thermal diffusivity. The components of Eq. (2) are all inuenced by the soil's moisture content, which has been described as very dry in Kuwait. Accordingly, Al-Sanad and Ismael [7] have found the average density of Kuwaiti soils to be in the neighbourhood of 17501800 kg/m3 and the thermal conductivity around 0.91 W/m K for 2% moisture content. Several sources give the specic heat capacity of dry soils as 840 J/kg K. After substituting these values in Eq. (2), using an averaged density value of 1775 kg/m3, results in the thermal diffusivity a 0:053 m2 per day. 4. Results Eq. (1) can now be expressed for Kuwait with variables that are based on long-term climatic and soil conditions. The resulting equation is 2 Tx;t 27:3 13:6 e0:4x cos 365 pt 36 23:4x (3) Eq. (3) can now be used to predict a subsurface temperature profile for Kuwait at any depth. The results at different depths are graphed and compared to the annual average air temperatures in Fig. 1. It can be seen that the average air temperature can reach as high as 418C, whereas at a depth of only 1 m, the maximum temperature reaches about 368C. At a depth of 10 m, the temperature is almost a constant 278C. When average subterranean temperatures are compared to solair temperatures on vertical surfaces, the difference is even more pronounced, as shown in Table 1. Fig. 2 compares subterranean

Table 1 Average annual temperatures (8C) All underground depths Air Air, maximum Solair, north Solair, east Solair, south Solair, west 27.3 25.7 32.5 28.3 33.4 33.1 30.0

temperatures to solair temperatures on a horizontal surface for a typical summer day. Using this data in building heattransfer applications will reveal the savings in energy. The resulting temperature time lags between the different depths and the annual average air temperatures can also be compared. For example, the maximum air temperature occurs during July, whereas at a depth of 2 m, the maximum temperature occurs about 51 days later in September. The lag is shown to increase with increasing depth, as illustrated in Fig. 3. 5. Analysis It is obvious from Fig. 1 that the subsurface cyclical temperature wave is considerably dampened when compared to the air temperature wave, especially at increasing depths. The subsurface temperatures are shown to be signicantly lower when air temperatures are at their peak. This observation implies that structures sheltered by the earth will result in decreased energy consumption, particularly for cooling.

Fig. 1. Average daily air and subsurface temperature at various depths.

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Fig. 2. Air, solair, and underground temperature for August 11.

Another obvious observation from Fig. 3 is the resulting time lags between the air and subterranean temperatures. At certain depths, when subsurface temperatures are at their peak, air temperatures can be lower. Therefore, a structure

could be designed to take advantage of the better prevailing conditions, whether they are below or aboveground, throughout the year, regardless of season. Close study of Fig. 1 can give designers insight as to where the optimum

Fig. 3. Lag vs. depth.

A.A. Al-Temeemi, D.J. Harris / Energy and Buildings 33 (2001) 837841 Table 2 A comparison of above- and subsurface cooling degree-daysa Aboveground Subsurface (m) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
a

841

1540 1409 1070 851 719 657 657 657 657

Base: 25.58C.

depths a building should lie and how much of the building should be left exposed, if any. Another comparison one could make is the difference in degree-days. When the total heat ow for a building envelope is known for a 18C temperature difference, the degreeday concept can be used to nd the total energy consumed for known outside temperatures at a specic locality. Summing the difference each day of external average temperature and a base temperature for days when the average external temperature is above the base temperature makes a cooling degree-day calculation. Using the data in Fig. 1, with a base temperature of 25.58C as an upper limit of thermal comfort, the cooling degree-days can be calculated and compared to aboveground. The results are given in Table 2, which shows that at a depth of 5 m, there is a reduction of 57% in degree-days compared with aboveground. There are no additional thermal benets beyond 5 m, unless outside air during the winter is utilised. It must also be noted that the comparison is being made to outside air temperatures, neglecting the effects of solar radiation that an aboveground building will receive. Since heat-transfer calculations normally account for solair temperature, a more realistic comparison can be found in Table 1 and Fig. 2. 6. Conclusions The subterranean climate in Kuwait has not been studied over a long period of time. Previous studies were done, but

were valid for only 1 year. A prole of the periodic variation of subsurface temperature with depth has been predicted for the long-term climatic and soil conditions for the State of Kuwait. The generation of the prole is based on Labs' equation for subterranean temperatures. The accuracy of the equation depends on the accuracy of quantifying the thermal and physical properties of the soil and surface temperatures. The soil properties found in the literature have been measured locally and the surface temperatures have been estimated with reasonable accuracy. The resulting subsurface temperatures were then compared to the ambient dry-bulb temperature in graph form, which indicates that there are signicant temperature drops below-ground when air temperatures are at their highest. A time lag in the order of 80 days at 2 m depth is shown between the above- and belowground temperatures. The resulting graph needs to be compared to long-term experimental measurements, and then to be further studied in order to determine energy conservation potential of earth-sheltered and earth-bermed structures in Kuwait. References
[1] A.J. Davis, R.P. Schubert, Alternative Natural Energy Sources in Building Design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1981. [2] A.K. Khatry, M.S. Sodha, M.A.S. Malik, Periodic variation of ground temperature with depth, Solar Energy 20 (1978) 425427. [3] S. Moustafa, D. Jarrar, H. El-Mansy, H. Al-Shami, G. Brusewitz, Arid soil temperature model, Solar Energy 27 (1981) 8388. [4] K. Labs, Underground building climate, Solar Age 4 (10) (1979) 4450. [5] A.A. Al-Kulaib, Weather and Climate of Kuwait, Director General of Civil Aviation, Kuwait, 1975. [6] Statistics Department and Information Center (SDIC), Electrical Energy: Statistical Year Book, Ministry of Electricity and Water, State of Kuwait, 1998. [7] H. Al-Sanad, N.F. Ismael, Thermal properties of desert sands in Kuwait, Journal of the University of Kuwait (Science) 19 (1992) 207215. [8] K. Labs, The underground advantage, in: Proceedings of the Plenary Session of the Fourth National Passive Solar Conference (AS of ISES), Kansas City, MO, 1979. [9] D. Watson, K. Labs, Climatic Building Design, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1983. [10] Central Statistical Office (CSO), Annual Statistical Abstract, Ministry of Planning, State of Kuwait, 1998.